The Hanson Brothers

The Hanson Brothers almost seem like some odd, parodic conceptual distillation of two really obvious stereotypes: they're a punk band, so of course they sound like the Ramones, and they're Canadian, so of course they're hockey-themed. But if you want to write them off as a silly gimmick, keep in mind that they're a great outlet for the goonish tendencies of the real set of brothers in the band -- namely Rob and John Wright of British Columbia's peerless art-punk vets Nomeansno. Named for the brawling maniacs from the Paul Newman puck-cinema landmark Slap Shot, the Hanson Brothers (definitely not to be confused with the "Mmm-Bop" kids) are currently touring behind the live CD/DVD set It's A Living, a testament to the enduring power of home brewing, the NHL and counting to four. The Wild are out of town, so where else are you gonna go? With Banner Pilot; Awesome Garys.
Sun., Dec. 14, 9 p.m., 2008